02/09/2023
Bible Digest
History: The Reformation
The Reformation, also called Protestant Reformation stands as the display of God’s grace and a religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century. It was the greatest event in history next to the introduction of Christianity and the early expansion of the church by the apostles (Philip Schaff). It happened in different stages over many decades and its cumulative impact became the recovery of the true gospel of Jesus and the restoration of the church. The Church had become deeply involved in the political life of Western Europe and increased in power, influence, and wealth thereby bankrupting the church as a spiritual force. Spiritual darkness personified the church. The Bible was a closed book, the gospel was perverted and spiritual ignorance ruled people’s minds. Traditions trumped divine truth contaminating both dogma (doctrine) and practice. The rotten stench of corruption and ungodliness covered the pope and priests. Under the guiding hand of God, the world scene was uniquely prepared for the Reformation coupled with the discovery of the New World (Columbus, 1492) and the invention of the printing press (Gutenberg, 1454). Trade routes were opening, opportunities for learning increased, vastly improving the dissemination of ideas setting the tone for the church to be reformed. The reformers in this period were the best educated, most godly, steeped in Scripture, possessed audacious courage, and emboldened by deep conviction even in the face of opposition. Their love for the truth and Christ drove them to attempt to bring the church back to its timeless standard. By the strong hand of God, they became the shining lights in a dark period and longed to see God’s people worship Him according to Scripture. They weren’t making something from scratch but were reviving what had become dead. They looked back to the Bible and to the apostolic era. The Reformers had a saying, “Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda,” meaning “the church reformed, always reforming.”
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Sources: Britannica, Wikipedia & Men of the Reformation
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